Carl W. Renstrom

Carl W. Renstrom (1902–1981) was an Omaha, Nebraska businessman and multi-millionaire who made his fortune selling hair curlers and other hair accessories through his company, Tip-Top Products.

Early life

Carl Willard Renstrom[1] was born in Omaha, Nebraska on 27 September 1902.[2] His parents were Swedish immigrant Nils August Renstrom and his Iowa-born wife, Vera Pearl Bartlett. Renstrom's father was a general laborer who had a knack for mechanics. He filed several patents, including one for an electro-magnetic blanket in 1896.[3][4]

Renstrom attended the public schools in Omaha, graduating from the now closed Commerce High School.[5]

Business career

Following his graduation from high school, Renstrom embarked on a variety of sales positions, including selling Fuller Brushes.[5] When the Depression quickly reduced his sales of church bulletin boards, Renstrom founded Tip-Top Products Company and went looking for a product to sell.[6] While selling door-to-door, Renstrom had crossed paths with a gentleman selling heatless liquid solder in a can.[6] After efforts to form a company with the man failed, Renstrom worked on replicating the unpatented solder in a squeezable tube.[6] He initially manufactured the product in his basement and then went from store to store selling it.[7] The solder was an immediate success and gave Renstrom financial security. Within a year he had purchased a building, and hired production and sales staffs.[5] The building Renstrom purchased was at 1508 Burt Street in Omaha.[6]

After his success with his solder product, Renstrom was looking for his next opportunity. His sister, Grace, had returned from Europe with a poorly made metal hair curler, purchased in Germany, that she showed to Renstrom.[7] The curler was called the "Ruck Zuck".[6] Similar curlers were selling in the U.S. for about 5 cents each.[7] Renstrom improved the curler's design and obtained his first patent for a simple metal hair curler on 14 July 1936.[7] He christened the curler the Tip Top Easy Curler — four aluminum curlers on a card priced at 10 cents a card.[7] The consumer response to the curler was overwhelming.[7]

When World War II intervened and aluminum was at a premium, Renstrom retooled the machines that had once produced curlers to fabricate military wire reels, barbed wire throws and land mine crates.[6] His production building had to expand to accommodate the volume.[7]

Renstrom's experience working with the War Department on his military contracts lead him to run for office as a Douglas County Commissioner.[6] He was elected in 1944 and served through 1948.[6]

When the war ended, he converted his curler production to plastic and expanded his hair product line.[7] By 1964, Renstrom's company had obtained 24 patents and was manufacturing over 600 products.[7]

In 1964, Renstrom sold his Tip-Top Products Company to Rayette Co., (later named Faberge), of Minneapolis, Minnesota for $25 million.[5]

Retirement

The sale of Tip-Top Products made Renstrom a very wealthy man. In retirement he continued to pursue business ventures that interested him; the development of the Granada Royale Hometel and the building of The Omaha Tower, both in Omaha.[5] He donated to charities he cared about, including The Boys Club of Omaha.[5] He entertained at homes in Omaha, Acapulco, Miami, Ontario, Canada, and Minnesota.[5] In 1969, he dined twice with President Richard M. Nixon.[5] But mainly, Renstrom traveled. He skied in Switzerland, fished in Mexico, scuba dived in The Bahamas, hunted in Europe and Canada, and photographed big game in Africa. Renstrom used his private Learjet to fly to whatever destination interested him.[5] A friend of Renstrom's once told a reporter that he had agreed to accompany Renstrom on what he thought was a ten-day trip to Glasgow and Paris.[5] By week five, the friend was pleading with Renstrom to start thinking about returning home.[5]

Acapulco

In the 1950s, Renstrom built a family vacation home in what was then the emerging resort town of Acapulco, Mexico.[8] Renstrom christened the property Villa Vera, after his oldest daughter.[9] Renstrom eventually added five smaller villas to the property to entertain clients and friends.[9] His next door neighbor was Teddy Stauffer, or "Mr. Acapulco" as he became to referred to as.[9] Renstrom convinced Stauffer to manage his property whenever he was away.[9] Together the two of them entertained the "jet set" of the time.[9] Elizabeth Taylor married Mike Todd in what was originally the Renstrom family home (Villa No. 6), with Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher as attendants.[9] Lana Turner lived at Villa Vera for three years,[9] and Bridget Bardot honeymooned there.[10] As the popularity of the area grew, Renstrom continued to expand the property, which today is called the Villa Vera Hotel & Racquet Club.[9]

Personal life

Renstrom married four times. He divorced his first wife, Catherine A. Gannon, in 1953.[5] She was the mother of one daughter, Vera Pearl Renstrom. His second wife, Genevieve L. Taylor, died of leukemia in 1956.[5] He divorced his third wife, Elizabeth or "Betty", in 1976.[5] She was the mother of Renstrom's youngest daughter, Lisa. Then in 1978, he married his fourth wife, Carmen Patricia De Alba of Mexico City.[5][11] Carmen Patricia was the mother of his only son, Carlos Rene Renstrom, who was only four at the time of his father's death.[11]

Carl W. Renstrom died 13 November 1981 in Omaha, Nebraska and was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery there.[5]

After his death, Renstrom's heirs sub-divided his 84-acre horse farm at 10001 Pacific Street in Omaha for redevelopment.[12] Renstrom's mansion and 8-acres remained a private home,[12] while the remaining land became apartments, office towers and the One Pacific Place shopping center.

Elizabeth Ann "Lisa" Renstrom, Renstrom's youngest daughter, is a past president of The Sierra Club.[4][13]

Two of Renstrom's grandsons, Cris and Curt Kirkwood, are founding members of the alternative punk rock band, Meat Puppets.[14] They are the sons of Renstrom's oldest daughter, Vera Pearl Renstrom.

Carlos Rene Renstrom attended Law School in Mexico City (La Salle University) and later obtained an MBA degree in the United States. He currenlty works as a Sr. Human Resources Officer for the County of San Diego. His mother, Carmen Patricia De Alba never re-married.

References

  1. ↑ Renstrom, Carl Willard. "Forest Lawn Omaha Burials". Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Omaha, NE. Index Lookup by Last name
  2. ↑ Internet Social Security Death Index. Ancestry.com.
  3. ↑ GenealogyBank.com (1 January 1894). "Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents for the Year". Serial Set Vol. No.3173 (S.Misc.Doc. 127). p. 302.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Stieg, Shelly. "Standing Tall With Sierra". The University of Nebraska at Omaha. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 "Death Ends Renstrom's Business Story". The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper, Omaha, NE. 15 November 1981. pp. 1 & 7. Curlers Made Omahan Rich
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 "A 'Tip-Top' Success Story". The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper, Omaha, NE. 4 February 1945.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 "Omahans Hold Many Patents". The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper, Omaha, NE. 26 January 1964. p. 11. Solder to Curlers
  8. ↑ "Villa Vera Hotel & Racquet Club". World Investment News. 2000. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 Hoekstra, David. "It's Getting Cold: Acapulco Hotels". 24 October 2006. Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago, IL. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  10. ↑ Elmore, Cindy J. "She reaches peak of the Sierra Club". September 2005. Business North Carolina. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Will of Businessman Renstrom Leaves Estate to His Daughter". The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper, Omaha, NE. 27 December 1981. p. 3–B.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Jordan, Steve (23 December 1983). "Micek To Purchase Carl Renstrom House". The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper, Omaha, NE.
  13. ↑ Barry, John Byrne. "Meet the New Sierra Club President". The Planet Newsletter. Retrieved 27 March 2013. Renstrom Urges Members to Enlist Friends and Neighbors
  14. ↑ "Meat Puppets: O Brother, Where Art Thou?". Magnet, Real Music Alternatives. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 27 March 2013.

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